Monday, August 17, 2015

Our blog has officially moved into a NEW home! We are excited for the new addition to our beautiful new website, the Michelle Robinson Photography Blog! Don't worry, this blog will stay up and connected, but we will be posting new content on the new one!

Thanks to 17th Avenue on Etsy for helping us create a beautiful home for our blog!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Your wedding day is a day you will never forget, but while planning you can be overwhelmed by all the details. But don't worry!! You will get everything done and it will look BEAUTIFUL! When planning for Sara's wedding, we did a lot of these things to help the stress melt away! And they truly do work and they created wonderful memories that we still talk about today! These are not in our favorite order, but these are our top 10 things for a Bride to do before her wedding day! Of course, the groom can do these as well! :)

1. Laughter: Have you ever heard of the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.”? My mother use to tell me that a lot of the time, and it truly is! When you feel like you’ll never make it out of the wedding craze, taking a break to laugh with a girlfriend is great. Of course, don’t forget the coffee with the girl date!

2. Pick Up The Phone, Call Mom: Along with having a good laugh, calling your mom/dad/best friend is sometimes the next best thing. It is so relaxing and helpful. It also releases any stress and makes you think of great memories! Even if you don’t feel stressed, it’s just a great thing to do.

3. Let Others Help: Or in other words, delegate! You are the bride and only you know what you TRULY want, but we are here to help! Vendors, friends, family members are all here to help with invitations, dress shopping, and other wedding details! Let us help so you can have peace, feel more centered, and enjoy the experience with your soon to be husband!

4. Soak in the Tub: Everyone knows the amazing powers a nice soak in the bathtub will do! A hot bath, candle light, along with soft music playing in the background will soothe the soul. Sara highly recommends to have even more of a soothing bath, you can use bath bombs from LUSH Cosmetics. She promises that you will feel like a new woman when you step out!

5. Keep Hydrated: Water is great all the time, but it is especially when you are the bride! Staying hydrated will keep awake, fresh, and just better all around. It is so much better than that extra cup of coffee or an extra scoop of ice cream, that is for sure! Another wonderful thing that keeping hydrated does is that it will keep your skin glowing beautifully! You could spice up your water is a little bit of crystal light add in, or fresh fruit (lime, cucumber, orange, or lemon) for added flavor!

6. Write in a Journal: One of the things I did for Sara’s wedding is I wrote in a journal from a year out to Sara's wedding in May 25th, 2014. I wrote about the movies we went too, finding her wedding dress, and the fun sleep overs she have to practice her wedding makeup with her dear friend. It was a year of beautiful memories that could or have been forgotten! A lot will pass from when you get engaged to the wedding day, so writing in a journal is something I really do recommend! Along with writing to remember the memories, it also helps you cherish the emotions you were feeling, to capture it all down for generations to come!

7. Do Stretches or Yoga: You could do either or, but both are fantastic to relax and soothe your body. Yoga can help stretch those tight muscles, minimizes tension, and improve your outlook on the experience! Sara has been to yoga for years and she gives is lots of thumbs up.

8. Aromatherapy: Essential oils work their beautiful wonders when wanting to use it for soothing and relaxing your mind and body! You can use lavender, jasmine, chamomile and others that uplift! You can mix up your own or go to Young Living and purchase a few of their mixed essential oils. If you don’t want to place oil on you, you could also get or make your own aromatherapy scented candle! (This could also be a great house warming or wedding gift!)

9. Take a Deep Breath: This ties into Yoga and Aromatherapy, but deep breathing soothes your body and mind. It takes the craze of a day and lets to refocus your mind and lightens the mood. If you do this in the bath or while using aromatherapy, it works wonders! Sara uses it all the time, especially Lavender. :)

10. Date Nights: Brides sometimes can get lost in the details of planning a wedding that they forgot to spend time with her soon to be husband. Take some time out to spend alone with your fiance! This could be a dinner date, a walk, and movie date, but any one-on-one time with your soon to be husband is a great night! Just challenge yourself to not talk about the wedding, but other things going on. Having that one-on-one time with him could make you feel even more butterflies!

These are our top ten ideas that YOU should do before your wedding day! Even after the wedding, these tips are wonderful when you need a self pampered evening! We hope that you give them a try. :)

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

It was a just so much fun meeting our lovely bride and groom, Brittany and Garrett, when I did their engagement session this past week at UNC Carolina! A place that holds a lot of great memories for these two. Brittany was attending UNC Carolina while Garrett was at NCSU when they met through a mutual friend Adam! Adam set up the couples first date in May over four years ago and soon these two are going to be married at the Great Hall at Castle McCulloch. While they are busy planning a wedding, working, they both are currently getting their Master degrees at NCSU! They are just the sweetest couple ever as we spent our time photographing we talked about their careers, cotton farming, weddings and Coldstone ice-cream!

Thank you both for walking me back to my car and for one of the most delightful evenings ever!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Details, details, details! It is all in the details! Think of it! You spend so much time finding all these perfect details to accent your wedding beautifully, shouldn't they be photographed? Documented for you to cherish and remember the memories attached to each detail? The details not only add to the wedding, but it transfers beautifully over in your photographs to have for generations!!
It makes a WORLD of difference when your details are all together for us to photograph right away. Something brides will ask us is "Michelle, when you say details, what does that all include?" That is a valid questions, what does it mean when we say details! In this blog I will be showing you lovely brides a few different ideas of details that would be AMAZING to photograph the day of your wedding! Each detail to every bride is unique and cherished in unique ways. Here are some of our favorite details to photograph, but we love all different types of details!

Dress:

After all the time spent choosing the right gown, it is something that you should have photographed! For us, this is how we start our day by seeing you getting even more gorgeous then by photographing your dress! It is a little window into what the day will hold. A tip with the dress, make sure that you have the
right HANGER to displayyour dress
on.Instead of the plastic hanger it
comes with, you can get an elegant customized hanger!Even a wooden hanger makes an elegant display
for your dress! Trust us, this detail you will not want to miss!

Rings:

Another critical part of the wedding details are the RINGS. We really love the BLING, please make sure all three rings are
ready for their close up as soon as we start photographing! While you will be wearing them everyday from that day onward, it is wonderful to have a lot of photographs of them!Once we have the ring shots THEN they can go
back to where they belong. :)

Veil and Hairpieces:

Veils, whether long or short, add their touch of softness to each wedding! Just as an example, Sara had a birdcage veil for her wedding and it was perfect to photograph the rings on! They are beautiful to photograph on or off the bride (and sometimes groom)! Especially when photograph details, the veil will add a beautiful glow to the picture, it will be worth it to have it ready!

When doing Carla and Richards FIRST LOOK we got this beautiful image with her veil!

Shoes:

Shoes! Sara is a complete shoe girl! Who does love shoes, especially those you wear on your wedding day? Don't let anyone bring you the shoes later, have them with the dress so you don't have to worry. Everything will be together and ready for us to photography!
Here are two important tips we have learned throughout our course of photographing: first, you NEED to break in your shoes before your big day! Secondly, when we take you out for your couple session, it is important to think of pointy heels and grass! If you purchase heel stoppers, it will save you worry on your wedding day to spend dancing with your husband!

Jewelry:

Speaking of shoes, lets not forget about the earrings, bracelets, purse and necklaces! It is so tempting to put these on but please wait for us to
get ALL the details and then slip these on after your dress!

Keepsakes:

A favorite broach
from your grandmother or handkerchief from your mother, it is important to photograph for you to have! Something that we really love learning about it favorite keepsakes that each bride cherishes.

Flowers:

Flowers add a beautiful backdrop to all your other details while photographing. Please have ALL your flowers delivered to wherever you are getting ready
so that we can have a few for your before photographs! Especially if you are
considering, which we encourage, a FIRST LOOK.

Invitations:

Invitations, just like all the other details, add that special flare to each wedding. It creates and adds another dimension to your detail photographs and its something you will want to keep! You can either send us an invitation (which we will accept! :) or have a copy of one on your wedding day that we can use!

Gifts:

Letters and/or gifts adds beauty and happy tears to a wedding day! Whether they are shared between bride and
groom or for your parents/attendants. Every bride, groom, or parent has a different response to these letters/gifts. They provide a beautiful moment of peacefulness or excitement before the wedding ceremony!
Just a tip, if you do want to share a moment together, think of where you would like this to happen and will you include this in your first look(?)!

The groom was given a surprise gift, right before the wedding! While he was out of town on a business trip, the bride did a bridal portrait session and included his Harley Davidson Bike!

You can even do special gifts for your children! A special gift for a son.

These are most of the details that you can have photographed! From head to toe, everything about your details are important. Everything has it place and if it is important to have in your wedding, we want to make sure it is photographed! There are a numerous amounts of other details that you can add into your wedding day, just let us know! The more details, the better!
We hope that this helps you when it comes to planning your wedding details! We just can't get enough of them.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Ahhh! The new website is HERE! Wow, it honestly is so surreal actually writing that we are done. That massive to-do list is finally completed! This website has felt all the hard work and love that we have poured into it. After a month filled with new goals, new dreams, and new to-do lists!

How we began the process was like any other, we desired something fresh and new. A website that completely fit us in every way, something clean and timeless. I can't tell you how much we fell in love with this website. The website idea came to us before even met our dream photographer, Katelyn James! Along with getting our photographs taken, she worked with us in a coaching session to revamp our website and our brand. There were some days that it was difficult, but the long nights were incredible worth it! Sara and I have revamped this website to be better for YOU! This is about how we can create a lovely experience for you when looking for wedding photography! Along with creating a new site, we have created a new Timeless Wedding Experience, just for you!

Sara and I would really love to thank our husbands, Joe and Jake, for helping and supporting our dreams! They truly are the support system to each of us and we couldn't be more thankful for them! To our friends and families who have listened to our ideas, rants of frustration, and encouraged us! Our friends at Showit, who helped us out throughout the process of this website relaunch! And to Katelyn, who encouraged us to dream higher and serve more!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Sara and I cannot even begin to explain how much has been going on behind the screen!! We have been working hard (we promise!!) to bring you guys something special!! Yet, we will reveal what we have been working so hard at the end of this blog so just a little longer!

One thing I love about my work is working with my daughter. We make such a great team as we know what each other thinks and how the other works. Yet, family businesses always have a difficult side especially when we live with each other! We can disagree with how something is supposed to look or how a workflow needs to flow. Something that we learn to do is discuss with each other how we feel about this or that, and we talk it through. We don't leave the room until we work through whatever needs to be discussed. And honestly, this does not happen that much which is why I really do love working with Sara.

However, we all need breaks! We need those times to recoup and have a turn off the brain from thinking anything to do with work/business! And when this time comes around when we need a break, Sara and I have Mother/Daughter Date Night! We wanted to share a few of our ideas we do at least every month to help us have a quality, personal, and carefree date night with your daughter (or mother!).

1. M o v i e D a t e : Whether this is inside your own home or at a movie theater, pick a funny movie that will make you laugh and just laugh away! Laughing is something that is so helpful with releasing tension and stress. Sara and I just went to the movies to see the Minions with a LARGE tub of buttery popcorn and our favorite candies! I haven't laughed that hard in a while and it just helped put everything into perspective. We also have movie nights at my house where we wear our comfiest outfits and watch old black and white movies. Of course we have popcorn and candy, that is a must!

2. R e a d i n g : Sara and I never get the chance to read something other than photography books and other blogs we love, and when we do its is very rare! Is that how it is with you? Because honestly, I don't know how some people even get a chance too! Yet, when Sara and I need a break, we read together. It might or might not be the same book, but we sit down in a quiet room together and read. It helps clear your head of everything you might worried about and leaves you focused on something else. Oh, don't forget the beautifully soft music playing in the background, because I can't read in just a died quiet room. Are you like that too?

3. S h o p p i n g : Okay, this might get us into a little bit of trouble with the Husbands, but who doesn't need some retail fun every once and a while?! Sara and I really do have similar taste in A LOT of things...we even have matching purses. (We love Target so much, maybe a little too much?) But this doesn't have to mean shopping for clothing or journals, this also could mean taking a trip to Trader Joe's for flowers and cookies. For us, this is an hour drive round trip and in this time we have time to talk about everything and anything (except business!).

4. T a k i n g S e l f i e ' s: I love this because it doesn't cost any money, but it is the funniest thing to do! Selfie's don't always have to be beautiful, but can be goofy! You can make silly faces and just laugh at yourself and each other (and no one has to see them!)!! Just have fun and have no expectation! You could also do this at a photo-booth if you have one near you and keep the pictures in your memory box! Afterwards, you could pick up some ice cream and ask for extra sprinkles to share. :)

5. P i c n i c T i m e : In North Carolina, it is SO hot lately, but when it hits the evening hour it can cool down enough for a picnic! Now, you don't have to travel, but have one in your yard! It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. That is beautiful thing about picnic's! Our favorite thing to put in our basket is watermelon because we ALWAYS eat it all up. Just take your favorite snacks, sit down and enjoy the beautiful outdoors (we try to do this without our phones, but always have to take photos)! Some fresh air is perfect so helping tension especially being caught up in front of a computer/phone screen.

With how crazy life can be, take some time out to enjoy some of these date night ideas with someone that you hold dearly. I know that I can't wait for next week because Sara and I are going to take a day off to enjoy the hard work we have been working on! Which leads me into talk about our secret!

Everyone better keep a look out because by this time next week, Sara and I are releasing OUR NEW WEBSITE!!! Along with this beautiful new website, we will be releasing our new PRICING and new LOGO COLOR. We have been working so hard since June to do this and it has been even harder keeping it from you! We want you to get excited because these changes will help YOU out as a bride with new resources and more for you to experience!! We hope that you are just as excited as we are and will stick around to see the transformation!!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

It has been such a busy few weeks on the blog! Why you should say YES to an Engagement Session, meeting the beautiful Pasha who does even more beautiful wedding invitations, and our blog mission statement! Not only just on the blog, Michelle and I have been working hard on a secret project!! Don't worry, we will soon be revealing it to you soon! Keep an eye out for a blog post on Tuesday! BUT, today we wanted to write a fun blog post for you to enjoy! Of course you know who we are, but we want to tell you even more about the quirky fun facts of us!

5 Things to know about Sara:

1. My favorite store to shop at is Trader Joe's! (Oh goodness, I could be in there for hours buying everything!)

2. I am OBSESSED with journals. I always have an abundant amount on hand!

3. Even though I got a bachelor degree in Medieval and Ancient Roman History, I always wanted to go for the study of Italian. I took a total of 4 classes before I had to switch! (Ciao, mi chiamo Sara! Io amore a parlo Italiano con tu!)

4. I really do love going to as many fairs as I can throughout the year!! The ride I love the most? The Ferris Wheel!

5. My favorite guilty snack is a large spoonful of Cookie Butter. (Okay, make it two!)

5 things to know about Michelle:

1. I love pretty journals and ink well pens. One of my favorites is a pen my husband brought home for me from Germany. It is a hand glass blown pen!

2. I'm in love with being in love. That could a big reason why I love movies that always have a happy ending. So needless to say I love the Hallmark Channel!

3. When I was 16 I found a pen-pal in England. We still write and talk to each other!! (Hello love!)

4. My favorite homemade dish would be Gnocchi with meat sauce, I learned how to make these from my mother and she learned from her father. Favorite takeout Chicago Pizza or Portillo's Beef Sandwich.

5. Dogs! There has always been a dog in my life since I was 3! Starting with a German Shepperd named Sable. I couldn't imagine my life with out my furry ones!

We love to know something wonderful about you please share with us in the comments below!

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Hello Lovelies!

We're so glad you're here! I'm Michelle, and along with my daughter Sara, we photograph weddings here in North Carolina! We are so thankful that you have stopped by to visit. So please, grab something yummy to drink, settle into a big comfortable chair and enjoy reading into a small part into our lives!